


Amusement Park 2.0

by Marionette_Ame



Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23925805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marionette_Ame/pseuds/Marionette_Ame
Summary: Rajak notices that his brother has been acting differently, and he seeks to fix it.(Companion fic/Sequel to Amusement Park).
Relationships: Rael Kertia & Rajak Kertia
Kudos: 19





	Amusement Park 2.0

**Author's Note:**

> Companion fic to Amusement Park.

Rael’s taken up photography.

It’s something Rajak notices when he isn’t doing house chores or training or occasionally helping the security of Ye Ran when he’s in Seoul. He can’t notice it at all when in Lukedonia of course, but he can think it over.

It’s something he’d commend if it wasn’t for how his brother has distanced himself from everyone now that he has. Before it had seemed like he’d been making the friends he never could when he was a child. It had seemed like he was learning how to get along with others.

He can’t really say Rael’s gotten worse though. If anything, most would say he’s gotten better. Regis doesn’t argue with him anymore, and well, nobody does. There’s nothing to tease him about because he just hums in response and there’s nothing for them to speak with him about because he does everything asked of him. He helps out even when he isn’t asked but he doesn’t talk to anyone else while cooking or cleaning. The only good thing about it is that Seira doesn’t have to deal with his attention, but strangely enough she’s the other person who’s made antsy by Rael becoming… silent.

That’s what Rael’s become. Silent and invisible. Like a proper Kertia, a part of Rajak says, but the rest of him ignores it. Rael was always more like their sire than their dame, than their father. As explosive and hurting and wanting attention he did deserve but never got. Rajak had tried his best not to just go down his father’s footsteps and treat his brother like he did their sire, but he’d failed. Instead Rael had just grown angry and prone to outbursts. Now he was quiet and lonely and resigned.

Rajak can remember every detail of how Rael’s taken to standing at the far side where nobody looks. How he just looks off, dazed almost, even as he’s hyperaware of everything that goes on. The way he excuses himself from everyone’s chatter and laughter, preferring the bite of the wind outside.

Perhaps the camera makes him feel better. It’s not something he knows for sure though. Rajak does know that it’s something he always carries. Everyone had been a bit surprised at first but then they’d all grown so used to it that nobody questions it anymore.

Not that Rael ever answers even when they do. That is, he never gives a proper answer that actually means something, or anything. He just stays silent or shrugs or goes, “I don’t know.” It’s obviously not just a whim though, and Rajak knows that because much as he’s aware that he often misunderstands his brother, he does know his mind and how he reasons to a certain degree. Not a great one, but enough to tell that this is a tool he uses to try and soothe himself.

How well it works, he doesn’t know. It can’t be that effective since Rael’s hurting even more than he did as a child, but that’s also because he’s never recovered from those wounds so they’ve festered over time. Perhaps this is an effect of that. Perhaps he just feels left out no matter where he goes.

Even Rajak doesn’t feel like that because the other clan leaders are by his side. Because they know him well. Nobody has that for Rael though, and he doesn’t know what to do. So, he turns to those he trusts, those that he says are always there for him.

“Ludis?”

His fellow clan leader and friend perks up even as he continues to pour Rozaria her tea- “Yes?”

Rajak ponders over how to phrase things and considers his company. Aside from Ludis and Rozaria who’re often together, Kei and Ser Claudia are here too. The usual people then. Well, except Karias who’s almost always with either Ludis or Rozaria but that’s a given considering he’s in Seoul. He sighs realising that he’s probably complimenting some other human student and making them fall head over heels for him. Ser Claudia is a new addition too, but she’s always been known to be a sweet woman and Rozaria was always friends with her even before the invasion.

“I need advice.”

“Advice? Am I hearing right?” Rozaria interjects and even Ser Claudia looks a bit confused.

Kei doesn’t react at all, simply drinking his tea. Then again, he never reacts to much of anything. Ludis puts down his teapot and sits down beside Kei, giving him a smile. He always seems to be the calmest even when everyone else is frazzled. No wonder he’s the Lord’s closest confidante.

“What about?”

“Rael has been distancing himself from everyone.”

“I thought you said he was getting better! That brat’s always a mess, huh.”

“ _Ria_ ,” Ludis says with an exasperated look and she grumbles, “He’s going back to how he was before?”

“No. He’s… doing the opposite. He doesn’t pick fights or gets angry. He’s helpful but he doesn’t talk to anyone and just isolates himself.”

“So like Claudia before the invasion. She kept to herself too, and only talked to me because I visited.”

“I guess it is like Ser Claudia…” Ludis glances at her before crossing his arms to think. “I usually just feed my clan members or if it’s one of the Knights I force them one way or another to stop working. With Lord Raskreia talking things out is the best method but Rael? I’m not really sure… I’ve never been good with people who purposely stay away too. Lusar was always better with that.”

That makes him look to Rozaria even as his heart aches. A mournful expression passes over her face too and even Kei pauses at the mention. Only Claudia doesn’t react, but that was a given. She’d known Seira’s dame and sire, not her elder brother. Ludis sighs when he sees all their reactions but says nothing else, just reaching for the cookies he’s baked.

“Sorry Rajak. Seems like I’m no use here.”

“Can’t help either I’m afraid,” Rozaria says, “Even with Claudia I was always friends with her so it was easy to talk with her. Rael’s never had any.”

A short silence washes over them, only to be broken by Ser Claudia, “He might not talk to them even if he did. I only really talked to Roza because I wasn’t really actively staying away from people. I just… didn’t go out of my way to talk to everyone. Is that what he’s doing too?”

Rajak shakes his head- “No, he doesn’t even talk when people go out of their way. Not even to Seira.”

“Not even her? The brat’s really feeling bad, isn’t he?”

“Then helping him the way you did isn’t going to help Roza…”

“I wouldn’t discount it immediately.”

They all turn to Kei, slightly surprised. None of them expected him to contribute with how he interacts even less with others than Rajak himself. He tilts his head slightly, questioning, and Kei puts down his teacup.

“Just because he’s pushing people away doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to reach out to him. Try again and again as much as you can. That determination is what will help him, not everyone giving up after just a while of him being alone.”

“…Seira has been trying to talk to him whenever she can.”

“Seira has? She really has matured a lot,” Rozaria sighs, “Too much for her young age.”

“That’s only because she has people like Lord Raskreia and all the other clan leaders to look up to. Of course, there’s her position as well but…” trailing off, Ser Claudia looks down at her cup.

“That’s not the point though, Ser Claudia. You too Ria. The point is that Seira is trying while Rajak hasn’t.”

Ludis gives him a stern look and he feels a bit of guilt. Not trying? He supposes he hasn’t spoken much to Rael, and neither has he spent time with him. Until now he hasn’t even thought that it was out of the ordinary but it is strange that he’s reduced his chances to be with him just because he’s pushed him away.

“So I need to spend time with him… but what?”

“Isn’t there anything you both could do together?” Ludis asks.

“Training?”

“No,” is the immediate reply he gets and Ludis rubs his temple before reaching for more cookies.

“Geez. Don’t you know how to spend some one-on-one time with even your brother? Have some fun. There must be many things to do among the humans.”

“Going to a ‘zoo’ might be nice,” Ser Claudia adds. “Animals are cute and I’ve heard they gather many different strange ones at them.”

“Oh, I’d like to go to one too. Don’t you think so Ludis? With all of us, like the tea parties you’re planning too.”

“It does sound fun. The Lord only spent time with the Noblesse so it’d be good for her too. I’ll see if she has any time and plan one.”

Rajak contemplates their suggestion and Kei smiles, amused at them all- “If we’re going to this ‘zoo’ together then Rajak can’t go with Rael, can he?”

“Oh,” Ludis frowns, “I guess not. Back to square one.”

“They could go first. Animals are cute no matter when you see them?”

“No way. It’s already annoying that Karias knows way more than us. We can’t have Rajak getting way ahead too.”

“What about the amusement park then?” Kei suggests, “They’ve already been there but Seira said it’s somewhere you can go again and again without it getting boring.”

“That sounds perfect! Rajak, you know what to do now!”

Ludis laughs at Rozaria’s enthusiasm and grins at Rajak. He nods his head at the implicit message. Getting a gift for her shouldn’t be too hard, and it’ll make her happy. She was always that sort of upbeat person. Then again, he’s noticed that most people enjoy getting gifts so he’ll try to get something for everyone the next time he returns.

“You’re really good at this Kei. I didn’t expect that,” Ludis says.

“My mother was a timid woman.”

“Yali did always get terribly pale when trying to talk to anyone-” Claudia frowns- “She never left home unless necessary.”

“Yes. She had trouble communicating but wanted to be more social. To do that she’d attempt to go out every day.”

“Did it work?” Rozaria asks.

“Slowly. She improved as time went on and was always better when either grandfather or I were with her.”

* * *

Back in Seoul, because for some reason the Lord sends him here after a while of him being in Lukedonia every time, he approached his brother in his room. He knocks, entering only when Rael says that he can come in.

“How have you been?”

“Fine.”

“Are Seira and Regis well too? Rozaria and Ser Gechutel have been asking about them quite a bit.”

“Yes, they’re well.”

“What about your job? Is the security fine?”

“Yeah, it’s good.”

“Nothing happened?”

“No.”

It goes back and forth like that with Rael only giving short answers as he fiddles with his camera. It grows stale quick but it also shows how his brother has changed. Before he would speak eagerly and go on and on while he simply listened. It always left a smile on his face even if he often had to cut him short. Now though… At least it gave him the chance to ask-

“Do you want to go to that amusement park again?”

“Yeah,” Rael says and Rajak can tell it was because he wasn’t listening. When he processes it, his eyes widen- “Wait, what?”

“Be ready tomorrow morning.”

That’s his only answer and he leaves his brother in stunned silence. The next day he takes Rael away without informing anyone aside from Seira who sees them off. She just smiles and wishes them fun as Rael remains silent. She also whispers something to him that makes him nod and Rajak watches it the exchange with suspicion. They really don’t act anything like people say they do. It’s not particularly important though and they reach the amusement park they went to before with ease. He gets the full day tickets, amused as Rael’s nose wrinkles when a human wraps it around his wrist.

In the beginning he doesn’t have much of a reaction. It’s strange because even the noblesse had his minute changes and of course Sora was expressive. Rael just follows him and doesn’t say much though. The rollercoasters don’t do anything, he doesn’t react to the haunted house except to look forlornly at his camera and the ‘no pictures’ sign, and the pendulum ship leaves only a bored expression.

The teacups do something though. Not a lot, but he cracks a smile when he sees them so Rajak takes him over there even though his memories of them from the previous time aren’t the fondest. They aren’t nice this time either because even though they start out slow they end up going so fast that he gets dizzy and is stumbling when he gets off.

“Are you okay?” Rael asks, and he nods, surprised to see that his brother isn’t affected least.

It’s impressive, but what gets him even more is his smile and the way he laughs at him. It’s not really embarrassing, not like he would have found it in the past. Now he’s just happy to see Rael make a face that doesn’t make him hurt too.

“You’re not good with this? Why did you choose it then?”

“The noblesse liked it.”

“The noblesse is the noblesse and you’re you. Of course he did fine. We can’t compare ourselves to him.”

“You’re fine too,” Rajak points out and it leaves his brother flustered.

Cute. He hasn’t seen Rael blush in a while either. They continue on but Rael speaks and smile more. He doesn’t quite go on and on like he used to but it’s better than nothing. Kei had said that it took a long time for his mother to make even a bit of progress so he wouldn’t discard of this gift so easily.

Rael takes a liking to the carousel and watches it from afar so Rajak drags him there after a few rides. He protests about it being for young children so he just goes on it alone and Rael watches with wide eyes. They both ride it the next time and he memorises the joy on his brother’s face.

The mirror maze is fun too, and Rael plays a few tricks that leaves him confused. He doesn’t explain them either aside from giving a smug smile and “Seira.” They have snacks after that before returning to the game stalls. What he seems to like most isn’t the advanced technology or water rides or even the Ferris wheel, though he likes them all quite a bit. No. Rael is fascinated by the house of illusion and spends over an hour snapping pictures and simply staring at it all from different angles.

When they leave it’s dark and the closing time is only a few minutes off. Rael walks with him, camera on his waist instead of his hands, and Rajak smiles. It’s a soft one, and his brother probably can’t see it behind his mask so he lowers it. There’s shock in Rael’s eyes but neither say anything about it.

Instead Rael talks to him, and Rajak is glad that he doesn’t have to cut him off for once.


End file.
